Flynn’s Wacky Worldview

by Jim Lobe Skepticism about Michael Flynn’s fitness for the position of national security adviser appears to be growing as more media outlets are paying closer attention to his (and his son’s) core beliefs about the world. Such scrutiny also… Continue Reading

Ending the Iran-Saudi Cold War

by Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Sina Toossi In January, Saudi Arabia severed formal diplomatic ties with Iran after a row over its execution of a prominent Shia cleric ended with angry protestors attacking its Tehran embassy. Diplomacy has since been… Continue Reading

Is Wahhabism to Blame for al-Qaeda and ISIS?

by Joseph Cozza and Giorgio Cafiero Late last month, Microsoft apologized after online users observed that Bing’s translation of Daesh—what many Arabs call the Islamic State (ISIS or IS)—was “Saudi Arabia.” According to Microsoft’s official apology, Bing relies on a… Continue Reading

Calling Iranians “Descendants of the Magi” Is Actually a Compliment

by Shireen T. Hunter Recently, the chief mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, said that Iranians are Majus. This is the Arab name for Iran’s Zoroastrians, who were the majority of the people at the time of the… Continue Reading

On the Eve of Hajj, Saudi and Iranian Officials Try to Define “Muslim”

by Derek Davison Top Iranian and Saudi officials traded barbs earlier this week over who is and isn’t a true Muslim, deepening the Middle East’s most prominent, longest-running, and deadliest diplomatic crisis. On September 6, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Abdulaziz… Continue Reading